Don’t plant a
growing menace
Plan before you plant
near power lines. Small
trees now can be big
problems later.
Dangers of planting trees near power lines
When planting on your property, serious
consideration should be given to the species and
placement of trees to ensure they do not interfere
with power lines. Tree owners may be liable for
costs associated with damage caused by their trees
to Powerco’s network.
Trees and your power supply
This is a notice under the Electricity (Hazards from
Trees) Regulations 2003 (Tree Regulations).
Dangers of trees near power lines
Trees in contact with or close to live power lines
are a safety hazard, with the potential for causing
damage to power lines, injury or electrocution.
When conditions are dry, trees near power lines
can cause fires.
Dangers of cutting trees near power lines
You may be liable for prosecution under the
Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 if you carry out
work yourself inside the 4m radius around power
lines. Touching a live power line or a tree close to
the line can cause serious injury or electrocution.
Arrange for a qualified and approved contractor
to cut or trim trees growing near power lines.
Notice Zone and Growth Limit Zone
The Tree Regulations state how close trees may
come to power lines before trimming is required.
The Growth Limit Zone is the space around the
power line where trees must not encroach, even
in stormy conditions. The Notice Zone is 1m
beyond the Growth Limit Zone.
Overhead line
Notice Growth
Zone Limit Zone
66kV or greater – High Voltage 5.0m
4.0m
50kV to 66kV – High voltage
4.0m
3.0m
33kV – High Voltage
3.5m
2.5m
11kV – High Voltage
2.6m
1.6m
400/230V – Low Voltage
1.5m
0.5m
Offences under the Tree Regulations
If Powerco becomes aware of a tree encroaching
the Growth Limit Zone, it will issue a Cut or Trim
Notice to the tree owner stating the tree must be cut
or trimmed. A tree owner who fails to arrange for a
qualified contractor to (or fails to allow Powerco to)
cut or trim the tree, or fails to advise Powerco of the
time and location of the cut or trim of the tree may
be liable on conviction to a fine up to $10,000.
If the offence continues, a further fine up to $500
may be levied for each day or part of a day during
which the offence continues.
For a list of approved tree
contractors in your area,
visit powerco.co.nz/safety/
tree-trimming, ring
0800 POWERCO (0800 769 372),
or scan the QR code.